Birth of the Dragon Page #4

And the rest is just...

Eternity.

Steve.

Haven't seen you in a while.

You've been training with wong.

Yeah.

Are you tired of my method?

Master wong is helping me with xiulan.

I'll be back.

A man can't have two masters, Steve.

Good luck.

Good luck with the movie.

Yeah.

We're getting some pretty good buzz on it.

There's even talk about me

doing kung fu for a new TV show,

the green hornet.

Master wong thinks kung fu

doesn't belong on television.

Of course not.

He wants to keep it bottled up

in the monasteries in China.

That's why he doesn't want to fight me.

He says it isn't necessary.

Face it, Mac.

Wong's afraid of me.

Sifu, thank you for everything you taught me.

Don't mention it.

Oh, and Mac,

tell wong...

If he ever works up the courage

I'll take him on anywhere, anytime.

I told him to kung fu no more.

Send him back to school.

He accountant.

Do something useful for a change.

I believe you are friend of wong Jack man.

Mr. mckee.

What is it?

Auntie blossom said if you fight sifu Lee

she'll release xiulan quan.

I wish I could help.

Xiulan's being held prisoner.

Look, I know you came here

to do your penance.

But she's being punished

and she hasn't done anything wrong.

You said you didn't want to be

baited into a fight with no purpose,

now you have the power

to free a completely innocent person.

Isn't that more important

than washing dishes?

This is not karate, ladies. This is kung fu.

You're not training for the Olympics,

you're training for the street.

So what are you gonna do

when a badass comes at you in an alley?

Kick ass. Kick ass.

Master wong.

So what do you do when a badass

comes at you in an alley?

You must ask yourself...

Why is he doing that.

He's fighting against the world.

He's on the wrong path.

But what you do?

The role of a sifu

is to bring him into Harmony with the world...

And with himself.

Suppose he's trying to kill you.

Then I suppose...

You kick his ass.

But having done that, you offer him

the possibility of enlightenment.

If he refuses?

You have failed him.

And yourself.

Have you come to offer me enlightenment?

I have come...

To accept your challenge.

I have been given permission

to speak with you.

Auntie blossom is gonna let you go.

Why?

I gave her something she wanted.

But what about the other girls?

They're like my sisters now.

Oh, hey, Mac. Come on in.

I figure you're training with wong full time.

I am.

Well, a teacher doesn't give you the truth,

he only points you to a truth

that you have to find out for yourself.

If I pointed you to wong Jack man,

that's okay.

Is he ready for the fight?

I think so.

Well, he better be.

Chinatown made me the heavy favorite,

they're like wong in Hong Kong, but

he sets even money.

You gonna bet on the fight?

I don't know yet.

Wong's a Saint, I'm the street.

Never bet against the street.

Master wong wanted me to speak to you

about the terms of the fight.

You're his second now?

Yeah.

What does he want?

No kicks to the face or groin, no eye-jabs.

Does he want to play a Strauss waltz, too?

In return he agrees not to use his kicks.

I finally get it.

He must've used his mon shan

on some old head at the Shaolin.

No, not at the Shaolin.

At a demonstration against a tai chi master.

Did he kill him?

Almost.

That'll get you washing dishes

at the Jackson cafe.

You tell wong this...

No rules, no holds barred.

No limits, you guys'd kill each other.

Then he'll have to concede before that.

You know, I was thinking

San Francisco civic.

Sell tickets, pack the house, press, TV...

You said anywhere, anytime.

Where does he want to fight?

He's been training at a warehouse

down by the docks, he wants it up there.

Maybe I'll open a noodle stand,

make a few bucks on the side.

No more than a dozen witnesses.

Fair enough.

We'll do it his way.

But you let him know...

I want the results published

for the whole world to see.

We're so pleased

how you set this all up, Marge.

A promise is a promise.

How about a drink for my dad?

Of course, please.

The handle in Hong Kong

just cracked 12 million.

You did a good job, Margie.

Thank you. What would you like?

I am far from Shaolin...

Except for that word.

Fight's tomorrow, master wong.

You should get some sleep.

Whatever happens,

your xiulan will be free.

She doesn't want to leave

unless the other bi nu

are freed as well.

She's a very noble person.

You have chosen well.

But I must tell you, Mr. mckee,

I am not fighting for her,

or for you,

or for myself,

Lee jun-fan was correct.

He is the future.

He will bring kung fu to the world.

I can see that now.

He has talent. Great talent.

And ambition.

But what sort of kung fu

will he bring to the world,

an angry thing? A hurtful thing?

A thing to be bought...

And sold?

Unless...

Unless what?

Unless...

He's willing to be reborn.

You worried?

-About tomorrow?

-Aren't you?

Bruce, just protect yourself.

Seriously.

Wong's the one who better protect himself.

I heard you nearly killed wang biao.

You think you can kill me?

I have no desire to do so.

Then you just killed yourself.

Why don't you stand and fight?

Because that is what you want me to do.

These stairs go nowhere.

Like your style.

You've reached the end.

So have you.

Now you begin to exceed your limits.

What limits?

It's over.

Not unless you kill me.

Who won?

Which of you won?

We're holding $ 15,000,000

in bets and we cannot pay off.

You force one of them to admit he lost.

You got 24 hours.

At least your face is okay.

We can still get you on TV.

It took too long.

But you beat him.

When he had me in a headlock...

He could've killed me.

What'd he say to you?

"Do you understand?"

Understand what?

Your soul belongs to others.

You better hope I get my winner.

Or your body will belong to others.

There's no winner.

I know. I'll find the money

to help xiulan buy her way out.

Too late. There's more at stake now.

If you don't get me a winner

by midnight tonight...

Quan xiulan will be sold to one of the houses.

Mr. mckee.

I'm sorry...

If I have caused you trouble.

It seems I have caused a great deal of trouble.

I came here in a spirit of humility...

In an effort to disappear.

And now...

Could I have failed more completely?

You won that fight.

It is not that simple.

My intentions was to teach Lee jun-fan

that his attitude is irreverent

and his style is inadequate.

If, in defeating him,

i drive him further in that direction,

then I have lost.

If, in losing to him, I change his direction,

then I have won.

Do you understand?

We're not in a monastery in China.

This is America.

And in America we have winners and losers,

and right now we need a winner and a loser.

Life is not always that easy.

You know whose life is not gonna be easy?

Xiulan. Let me declare that you won, please.

It would make no difference.

Bruce Lee will never accept that.

Then will you say that you lost?

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